Wegman foundation gives $17 million to UR

The University of Rochester has received $17 million from the Wegman Family Charitable Foundation for two major projects, the university announced Tuesday.

The foundation gave a $10 million lead gift for the Institute for Data Science and a $7 million gift to support the Golisano Children’s Hospital. In recognition of the gift, the Institute for Data Science's building will bear the Wegmans name, UR officials said.

With the gift, the total contributions from the foundation to UR have reached $20 million, UR officials noted.

“It is our honor to support the university’s campaign,” said Danny Wegman, the foundation’s president and chairman. “The Institute for Data Science is helping the university and its collaborators become leaders in leveraging information in ways that will transform 21st-century discovery and innovation.

“In a similar way, the new children’s hospital will move health care for our region’s children and their families into a whole new environment designed around children’s needs. What could be more important or gratifying than ensuring the health of our children?”

The Institute for Data Science and the Golisano Children’s Hospital campaigns are flagships of the university's $1.2 billion goal for its major capital campaign, UR officials noted.

“Data science is the defining discipline of the 21st century, and among the university’s top priorities,” said Joel Seligman, UR president. “Danny saw the potential of this initiative to build off of our strengths in data science and computational capabilities and our long tradition of entrepreneurship.

“He also knew a gift to the new Golisano Children’s Hospital would be an investment in our region’s future. Both of these gifts will further deepen the Wegman legacy in Upstate New York.”

The foundation’s gift is the fourth-largest contribution to the university’s comprehensive campaign and second-largest gift to the children’s hospital, officials added.